Apparatus and method for fluid injection of yarn packages



Dec. 15, 1970 3,547,575

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLUID INJECTION O F YARN PACKAGES Filed Aug. 30, 1968 P. THEODORES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Dec. 15,1970 P. Ta-mcJDoREs 3,547,575

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLUID INJECTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed Aug. 30, 1968 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PETER THEODO RES ATTORNEYS Dec. 15, 1970 P. THEQDORES APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLUID INJECTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed Aug. 30, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N Mi A ww5 m 5 1652823 0P m2 AIIII. KOPOE 1M2; E40 oz iqmwomm v I A mxomkw ZOEbDm zO wmEDm vv mv ll lllllllll mxomhm mmzmwwmm 2O wn S 3n .l Alllll mwmmm mum/OJ 024 .Eww mmJommz A @358 mo w z8 mszo mv INVENTOR. PETER THEODORES 7 mm w a ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()1 fice 3,547,575 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLUID INJECTION F YARN PACKAGES Peter Theodores, Dudley, Mass., assignor to Ames Textile Corporation, Lowell, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Aug. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 756,452 Int. Cl. Bc 8/02 US. Cl. 8149.1 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Automatic apparatus for conveying yarn packages individually and successively along a path, halting each package at a treatment station, simultaneously penetrating the package with a plurality of injection elements and discharging fluid from the elements into the yarn package. The elements may be supplied with predetermined charges of dyes of different colors for random dyeing or may be supplied with steam to set the dyes previously injected into the package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Random dyeing of yarn in package form by the use of dye injection needles has long been known, as exemplified in US. Pats. 1,577,884, 1,606,196, and 1,922,511 to Van Ness, and U5. Pats. 1,705,761, 1,726,984, 1,836,533, and 1,904,137 to Hasbrouck. Usually the package has been moved to a single row of needles for penetration and injection and then has been retracted away from the needles, manually turned angularly, and then again moved to the needles until the entire circumferential area has been treated. In the above mentioned Hasbrouck Pat. No. 1,836,533, however, oppositely disposed banks of needles move axially toward the yarn package for simultaneous endwise penetration. However, as far as I am aware, it has not heretofore been proposed to provide oppositely disposed banks, or batteries, of injection needles along a path and to completely automatically advance a package along the path, halt the package, penetrate the package all around the side surface simultaneously, discharge fluid into the package, retract the needles and continue the advance of the fluid treated package.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method for accomplishing the above, whereby an operator need merely fill a hopper with packages and permit the apparatus to turn out a succession of substantially identically, fluid-treated packages at a relar tively rapid rate.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a slightly enlarged, fragmentary end view in section on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational View of the fluid pumps of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a fluid injection element of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of an injection element of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a control diagram.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the automatic fluid 3,547,575 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 injection treatment apparatus 20 of the invention includes a suitable frame 21, having an endless chain 22, trained around a rearward sprocket 23 and a forward sprocket 24. The upper stretch 25 of the conveyor means 22 extends longitudinally along a path from the yarn package feed station 26 through at least one fluid injection treatment station 27 or 28 to a yarn package discharge zone 29.

The apparatus 20 is especially designed for the automatic random dyeing of the textile yarn packages such as 31, which, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, may be generally cylindrical with a cylindrical side face 32, opposite end faces 33 and 34, and provided with a hollow, cylindrical core, spool, or bobbin 35, having the conventional axially extending spindle opening 36.

A plurality of package supports 38, in the form of stub spindles 39, extending normal to spindle plates 40, are mounted at spaced distances around chain 22, the spindles 39 upstanding vertically along the upper horizontal stretch 25, but being horizontal when rounding sprocket 23 and halted at feed station 26 as at 41.

Intermittent drive, or indexing, means 43 is provided for indexing the conveyor means 22 in increments from one station to the next station with a dwell, or halt, at each station. Means 43 is preferably in the form of a linear actuator 44, having a fluid cylinder 45 for reciprocating a piston rod 46, the rod 46 having a pusher head 47 for engaging each successive stub spindle 39 travelling along the lower stretch 48. The cylinder 45 is double acting and operated by valve control means 42. As will be explained hereinafter, rod 46 actuates a limit switch, or limit valve, 49, proximate the terminus of its advance path to simultaneously advance the dye needles and load a new package onto a spindle. Head 47 is a ratchet, or pawl, with a sloping rear face, and actuator 44 is pivotable and spring biased so that head 47 may retract behind the next successive spindle 39 into pushing position.

Unlike the needle injection device of the prior art, in which a package must be manually moved to a station, repeatedly rotated and reciprocated relative to sidewise entering needles and then manually removed from the station, the feed, injection and discharge of yarn packages in this invention is fully automatic. A bank, or battery, of horizontally mounted fluid injection devices 50, each having an injection element 51, is mounted at each treatment station 27 or 28, to define a closed figure such as a hollow cylinder. For example, as illustrated, there are two pairs of diametrically opposed banks, with three fluid injection devices 50 (FIG. 3) in each bank, as at 52, 53, 54, and 55, it being understood that considerably more elements may be used if desired. The injection elements 51 are usually termed injection needles in the random dyeing art, and they are so termed herein, despite the fact that the needle elements 51 of this invention are preferably blunt tipped and in the form of hollow cylindrical tubes rather than of sharp pointed, grooved, barbed configuration.

As best shown in FIG. 3, each device 50 of each fluid injection bank 52, 53, 54, or 55, is supported in the slot 56 of an upstanding frame piece 57, the frame piece 57 being hinged at 58 to a base 59 fixed to frame 21 by suitable bolts 61. The upper end 62 of each frame piece is connected by a radial rod 63 to a ring 64, by threaded nuts 65, so that all of the frame pieces may be inclined inwardly or outwardly to conform with the shape of a tapered yarn package.

The fluid injection means 66 incudes a plurality of injection elements 51, each in the form of a hollow, cylindrical tube 67 (FIG. having a closed side wall 68 and a tapered, or obliqued, terminal end wall, or face, 69, the latter forming a blunt tip 71 in order not to damage the yarn of the package by piercing or cutting the same. A plurality of spaced, dye emission apertures 72 are formed in a predetermined pattern in side wall 68 of each needle 51, each of predetermined diameter to conform with the predetermined reduced interior diameter at 73, 74, and 75, the element 51 thus discharging fluid such as liquid dye in a desired pattern of jets, or sprays, to color a predetermined portion of the yarn into which it is inserted. An aperture 76 is provided in the terminal end wall 69 to color the inner windings of the yarn when the tip 71 is proximate the core 35 of the yarn package 31. Each needle element 51 is mounted in a conventional threaded compression fitting 77, forming part of a check valve 78, the check valve 78 being fixed at the end of a piston rod 79 reciprocable by the fluid cylinder 81 of the injection device 50. Rubber bushings 82 and 83 and a turn nut 84 permit the cylinder 81 of each injection device 50 to be adjusted to any desired vertical height in the slot 56 of a frame piece 57.

Preferably each injection device 50 includes a flexible, resilient, pressure plate, or collar, 85, which may be generally conical if desired, backed by a plurality of soft rubber discs such as 86, mounted on the injection element 51 in advance of fitting 77 and valve 78 to bear against the side face of the yarn package 31 and conform to the configuration thereof while preventing back flow of the dye injected into the package.

As best shown in FIG. 4, each check valve 78 of each injection device 50 is connected by a flexible fluid conduit 87 to one of a series of pumps, such as 88, to supply a dye of a desired color, to the injection needle 51 of the device. The pumps 88 are in the form of identical cylinders 89 fixed to frame piece 91, each having a piston rod 92 reciprocable by the common plate 93, the plate 93 being reciprocable by the piston rods 94 in cylinders 95. Each pump 88 includes a check valve 96 fed by a conduit 97 from a dye vat, or tank, 98, containing dye of a desired color, the check valve delivering the charge drawn into the cylinder chamber 99 by the downstroke into the conduit 87 on the upstroke, so that the exact amount of dye to be random injected is supplied on each cycle.

Another flexible conduit 101 is preferably connected to each valve 78, the conduits 101 leading from a supply 102 of steam, or any other desired fluid. The valve 78 permits a charge of dye to be fed to needle 51, while closing off the steam port, or alternatively, permits steam to be supplied to the needle 51, while closing off the dye port. Thus steam can be introduced into the yarn package, immediately after dye has been emitted, to set the dye while the needle is in the yarn or the steam can be used to clean the needles and apertures after a particular run of yarn packages has been completed.

In addition, the injection needles 51 at first station 27 may be supplied with dye in desired colors, there may be other, or second, dye stations along the path, and the needles at second station 28 may be connected to steam only to set the dyes just before discharge of the yarn packages.

The double acting cylinders 45 for indexing the chain 22, the cylinders 81 for advancing and retracting the injection needles 51, and the cylinders 89 and 95 for supplying successive charges of colored dyes to the needles are all operated by valve control means 42 in response to sensing means in the form of limit-switches, or valves, timers, etc., to be described hereinafter.

Automatic package feeding means 105 includes a magazine means having a horizontally extending V-shaped trough 106, in parallelism with the horizontal stub spindle 41 halted at yarn package feed station 26. An inclined hopper 107 is filled with yarn packages 31 so that the packages roll by gravity downward with the lowermost package in engagement with a pusher 108 which is reciprocable in trough 106, Pusher 108 is similar in size and configuration to a package to serve as a stop, or metering gate, at the bottom of hopper 107. The pusher 108 is fast to a piston rod 109 reciprocable in a cylinder 111, the cylinder being operated by valve control means 42. Valve means 42 simultaneously advances the needles 51 into the packages at the treatment stations while actuating the cylinder 111 to push a package onto the spindle at the loading, or feeding, station, and simultaneously retracts the needles 51 and the pusher rod 109 to permit the next successive package to roll into trough 106.

The package discharge means 114 of the invention comprises a pair of stripper bars 115 and 116, each having an upstanding side guide 117 thereon. Each bar 115 and 116 extends from a tip 118, positioned at a height to he slid over by an advancing package at discharge zone 29, the bar inclining upwardly to lift the package off the stub spindle as the spindle travels downwardly around the sprocket 24 and then inclining downwardly to drop the dyed yarn package into the truck 119.

In operation a plurality of yarn packages 31 are placed in hopper 107 and the apparatus 20 energized. Each successive individual package 31 is pushed onto one of the spindles 39, then horiozntal at station 26 (as at 41), and is thereafter indexed on conveyor means 22, with a package halted at each station 27 and 28 for a dwell of about twelve seconds, or such other interval as may be set on the cycle timer of valve control means 42. In the absence of a package at the treatment stations, the needles 51 automatically move inwardly, remain inward for the predetermined time interval and then retract outwardly. However, a limit switch, or valve, 121, at each station 27 or 28, in the path of a package, must be engaged by a package halted at the station before the valve control means 42 can cause a charge of fluid to be delivered to the needles 51 (FIG. 2). Another limit switch, or valve, 123, at each station 27 or 28, is mounted in the path of a disc 124 carried by one of the needles 51, this needle being arranged to advance slightly more slowly than the other needles encircling the package. Limit switch 123 must be closed before the valve control means 42 can cause fluid to be emitted from the needles to thereby assure that all of the needles are at full penetration before random dyeing .occurs. Another limit switch, or valve, 126 must be closed by the full retraction of the needles 51 out of the path of the package before the indexing action of piston rod 46 can take place. Thus when a yarn package 31 is in position at a treatment station, the needles 51 are each supplied with a charge of a dye of the desired random. colors, which is injected into the yarn in the areas penetrated by the needles during the dwell at the station.

A spring biased positioning stop 130 is provided at each station 27 or 28 to position each plate 40 at the desired location, the stop 130 yielding out of the way of the plate when the rod 46 is actuated.

The control means 42 of the invention may be pneumatic, electric, or pneumatic-electric, and for convenience, a well known type of multiple cam cycle timer 120 is illustrated.

When the apparatus 20 is energized, the timer 120 first advances rod 46 to advance the spindles one increment. The limit switch 49, when engaged, signals the timer to advance the needles inwardly for a dwell of about twelve seconds. Simultaneously timer 120 causes piston rod 109 to advance to load a new package on a spindle. If the yarn package feeler switch, or valve, 121 is actuated by the presence of a package at the treatment station and when the needle insert limit switch 123 indicates that the needles are fully inserted, the control means 42 causes fluid to be ejected from the needle apertures by actuating the piston rods 94 of the pumps. The pumps remain on discharge stroke until the needles retract at the end of the twelve, second dwell.

Upon retraction of the needles, the rod 109 of the package loader retracts ready to advance the next package.

The timer 120, at the end of each indexing dwell of about twenty seconds then automatically advances rod 46 to move the spindles another increment of travel. The rod 46 cannot be advanced unless switch 126 indicates that all needles are retracted out of the package and out of the path of the package.

What is claimed is: 1. Automatic apparatus for fluid injection treatment of a plurality of yarn packages advancing individually and successively along a path extending from a package feed station, through at least one package treatment station to a package discharge zone, said apparatus comprising:

indexing conveyor means supporting said packages along said path, said means halting for a predetermined interval with one of said packages at each said treatment station; fluid injection treatment means at each said treatment station, said means including a battery of fluid injection elements mounted around said station, outside said package path, but movable inwardly to penetrate a yarn package at said station in spaced areas therearound and at spaced heights thereon; fluid supply means, including a plurality of separate sources of fluid, each connected to one of said injection elements by a valve; and control means, including a cycle timer, synchronized with said conveyor means for simultaneously moving all of said elements into each successive yarn package halted at a treatment station, opening said valves to supply fluid to said elements and then retracting said elements out of said path during said predetermined interval. 2. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for sensing the presence of a yarn package at each said station, means for sensing the arrival of all of said elements in full penetration position, and means for sensing the return of all of said elements to full retracted position, and means responsive to said sensing means, for monitoring said control means. 3. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said indexing means includes an endless chain having a plurality of package supports spaced therearound, and a fluid operated linear actuator on said apparatus, said actuator having a piston rod adapted to push each successive support a predetermined distance in the direction of advance, and then retract to a position in rear of the next successive support on said chain. 4. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein each said fiuid injection element is an elongated, hollow tube having a closed, blunt tapered terminal tip, said tube having a plurality of small diameter apertures therealong, plus a similar aperture in said blunt tip, all for emitting a predetermined pattern of fluid. 5. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein each said fluid injection element is an elongated, hollow, blunt-tipped perforated tube, and includes a collar of resilient, flexible material at a spaced distance in rear of said tip for conforming to the exterior configuration of said yarn package when pressed thereagainst. 6. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said fluid supply means at each said station includes a source of fluid in the form .of a plurality of individual dye vats and pumps, each adapted to supply a predetermined charge of dye of a diflerent color to each said injection element for random dyeing each said package. 7. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said fluid supply means at said one station includes a source of fluid in the form of colored dyes and a source of fluid in the form of steam, both connected to each said element through the said valve thereof, and

said control means includes means to actuate said valves for first supplying said colored dyes to said elements and then supplying steam to said elements for Setting said dyes.

8. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said fluid supply means at one said station includes a source of fluid in the form of colored dyes for random dyeing each said package at said one station,

said fluid supply means at another said station on said path includes a source of fluid in the form of steam,

whereby one said package is random-dyed at said one station and said package is steamed at said second station to set said dyes.

9. Apparatus for automatic fluid injection treatment of a plurality of yarn packages, said apparatus comprising:

conveyor means, including a stretch extending along a longitudinal path from a package feed station, through at least one fluid injection treatment station to a package discharge zone, said means including a plurality of package supports longitudinally spaced on said stretch;

intermittent drive means for advancing said stretch along said path and periodically halting one of said package supports at each said station for a predetermined treatment period;

magazine means, at said package feed station, for feeding said packages individually and successively onto one of the package supports of said conveyor means, halted at said station;

fluid injection treatment means mounted at said treatment station, said means including a pluraiity of fluid injection needles encirciling said station and normally retracted outside the path of a package advancing on said path, but movable into said path to penetrate into a package halted at said station;

actuation means, operably synchronized with said drive means, for advancing said needles into each successive package halted at said treatment station, supplying fluid to said needles for treating said package and then retracting said needles, and

package discharge means in said discharge zone for removing the fluid-treated packages from said conveyor means.

10. Apparatus as specified in claim 9, wherein said package supports are each a stub spindle, upstanding vertically along said stretch, but extending horizontally at said package feed station, and

said magazine means includes a horizontal trough at said feed station for supporting and guiding a yarn package onto said horizontal spindle, an inclined hopper for rolling feed of said packages by gravity into said trough, and reciprocating pusher means operable in said trough for pushing each successive endmost package onto said horizontal spindle then at said station.

11. Apparatus as specified in claim 9, wherein said package supports are each a stub spindle upstanding from said stretch to support the core of a yarn package, and

said package discharge means includes a pair of parallel stripper bars, each on an opposite side of the path of said stub spindles, said bars extending upwardly from proximate the plane of said stretch, and then downwardly therefrom, to lift each successive package ofl its spindle as the spindle advances between said bars for deposit in said discharge zone.

12. The method of random dyeing a plurality of yarn packages by means of a plurality of dye injection needles mounted on each opposite side of a station on a path, said method comprising the steps of:

conveying said packages along said path and halting the same individually and successively at said station for a predetermined interval;

7 8 during said interval simultaneously penetrating all of References Cited said needles into the package halted at said station, UNITED STATES PATENTS then ppp y t y of dlfffirent colors to saldPeedlef 1,726,984 9/1929 Hasbrouck and discharging said dyes into the yarn on said pack 1,836,533 12/1931 Hasbrouck et al. 68-201 ages in predeteirmned quant1t1es to random color 5 2 421 334 47 1 said packages, and then retracting said needles outside 5 19 K me et a1 8 55'2UX said path. 13. A method as specified in claim 12, plus the step of DANIEL BLUM Primary Exammer needle injecting steam into said yarn packages to US Cl. XR.

set said dyes, subsequent to said needle injection dye- 10 ing step and while said packages are still on said path. 685, 1185O6 

